Helen Wahl of Holmes Beach shows off her trophy for acing the 16th hole at the Manatee County Golf Course using a 4-hybrid. Wahl said she was “just lucky,” although it was her fifth hole-in-one. Witnessing the shot were Peggy Grossweller, Ruth Gulden and June Heckard. Islander Photo: Bonner Joy

Spring sports season gears up, champions named

The Anna Maria Island Community Center last week announced its spring sports offerings for youth and adults.

The youth basketball league for players ages 5-17 will get started in mid-April with games played in the gym Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings and some games will be played Saturday afternoons.

The center also is offering a youth baseball season for players ages 5-11, also starting in mid-April. There’s still time to register for both sports if players act quickly.

The adults will have three coed sports from which to choose. The center will host a coed basketball league on Tuesday nights, kickball on Wednesdays and soccer on Thursday evenings.

The center is always looking for coaches, captains and sponsors for its teams and programs.

For more information, contact Troy Shonk at 941-778-1908, ext. 9205, or email troy@myamicc.com.

Westbay condo owners hit the links

Westbay Point and Moorings and neighboring Shell Point residents held their annual golf scramble and banquet at Key Royale Club April 3.

The team of Bob McGlynn, Beth Lindeman and Bob O’Brien combined on an even-par 32 to take first place in the event. Second place went to the team of Vicki Anderson, Helen Pollock, Jack Smulowitz and Lance Lindeman with a score of 1-over-par 33.

McGlynn powered the longest drive among the men, while Beth Lindeman captured the women’s longest drive of the day. Smulowitz and Mary Lous Dreier won the closest-to-the-pin contests.

Horseshoe news

Marvin Gamgemi and Norm Langland were the only team to earn a 3-0 pool play record and were outright champs in the April 6 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits.

The April 3 games had three teams advance to the knockout round. Norm Good and John Johnson drew the bye into the finals and watched as Rod Bussey and Bill Wright defeated Dave Lansaw and Tom Skoloda 21-16. It was all Bussey and Wright in the finals, as they obliterated Good and Johnson by a 21-1 score with Wright throwing two “six packs” in the victory round.

Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection.

There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.

Key Royale golf news

It was another busy week of golf for Key Royale Club members, punctuated by Sue Christenson defeating Jean Holmes 1-0 in the women’s handicap championship on March 24. The men’s senior handicap championship will be decided next week, so stay tuned.

The KRC men played an 18-hole, best-ball-of-foursome match April 3. The team of Dick Eichorn, Pete Weir and Bob Landgren combined on a 17-under-par 47 to earn a one-shot victory over two teams. The team of Al Kaiser, Jim Helgeson and Bill Gallagher matched the 16-under-par 48 carded by Don LaTorre, Danny Hayes and Dennis Schavey to finish in a tie for second place.

The KRC women played a nine-hole, individual-low-net-in-flight match April 2. Jean Holmes rode birdies on the second and sixth holes to torch the course with an 8-under-par 24 to grab the top spot in Flight A by six shots over Kay Kaiser and Beatrice Friebe, who finished in a tie for second place. Judy Anderson’s 1-under 31 was good for third place.

Sue Christenson fired a 6-under-par 26 to take first place in Flight B. One shot back in a tie for second place were Penny Williams and Beth Lindeman, while Pam Alvord, Liz Lang, Sue Little and Meredith Slavin tied for third place at 3-under 29.

Kay Anderson’s 1-under-par 31 was good for first place in Flight C by one shot over Sue Wheeler and Barb Lindewall, who tied for second with matching even-par 32s.

Matching 6-under par 26s by Erma McMullen and Marcia O’Brien produced a tie for the top spot in Flight D. Nell Bergstrom carded a 3-under-par 29 to take second place, while Sally Keyes was alone in third with even-par 32.

Trish Kruger, Lynn Dailey and Bergstrom each had chipins on the day, while Joy Kaiser, Helen Pollack and Marcia O’Brien all recorded birdies on their rounds.

The game of the day was two best balls of the group with Jean Holmes, Judy Crowe and Margrit Layh combining on a net 77.

The men played two nine-hole matches April 1. The morning round saw a best-ball-of-foursome match won by the team of John Sagert, Vince Fanton, Bill Shuman and Dennis Schavey with a 10-under-par 22. Three shots back in second place was the team of Vince Mercadante, Ed Havlik, Earl Huntzinger and Larry Fowler.

Later in the day, the men played a nine-hole, modified-Stableford or quota-points match. Gerry Dahl carded a plus-7 to take first place in the individual competition by two points over Lex Halakan, who finished in second place at plus 5.

Dahl’s point total helped his team of Gregg Shorten, Tim Shorten and Larry Solberg to the team title with a plus-7 score.

The men closed out March with an 18-hole, individual low-net golf match March 30. Gary Harris took first place with a 6-under-par 58. Vince Mercadante, Larry Fowler and Ron Pritchard tied for second at 4-under-par 60.